Winnipeg is the heart of North America the geographic centre of
the continent. Situated just 20 kilometres west of the longitudinal
centre of Canada, the Manitoba capital lies 102 kilometres north of the
Canada-U.S. border.

Located on the eastern edge
of the Canadian prairies, Winnipeg is surrounded by fields of grain,
forests, marshes and lakes. Lake Winnipeg, the 13th largest lake in the
world, is less than an hour's drive away.

Situated
in the Red River Valley, at the junction of the Assiniboine and Red
Rivers, Winnipeg is also one of Canada's greenest cities. Many of its
older streets are lined with elms, whose branches create a leafy canopy.
More formal gardens and wide-open expanses of green are found in the
century-old Assiniboine Park, designed by Frederick Todd, considered the
grandfather of Canadian landscape architecture.

With a population of 684,100 people (2010), Winnipeg is among Canada's Top 10 largest cities.

History

The
name Winnipeg is believed to have its origins in the Cree word
"Winnipee" or muddy water. The name was given to a tiny fur-trading post
established in 1738 by Pierre Gaultier de Verennes de la Verendrye,
whose arrival marked the first European in the area. In 1812, a group of
Scottish crofters chose the fur-trading post as the area's first
permanent settlement. However, long before the fur traders and farmers,
the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers was an Aboriginal meeting
place and today continues its tradition as a meeting place with the
development of The Forks.

It was in 1873 that
Winnipeg was officially incorporated as a city (population 1,869).
Francis Evans Cornish was elected the city's first mayor. Construction
of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885 brought the arrival of a large
number of immigrants. The flood of immigrants, high wheat prices and
improved farming techniques made Winnipeg the wholesale, administrative
and financial centre of Western Canada.

Economic base

Viewed
as the historical financial centre of Western Canada, Winnipeg today is
headquarters for Great-West Life Assurance Company, Canada's largest
insurance company, and Investors Group, Canada's largest mutual fund
company.

Winnipeg has one of the most
diversified secondary manufacturing sectors. Agriculture,
transportation, aerospace, biotechnology and information, communications
and media are key economic sectors.

With its
central location, one of Canada's only 24-hour airports and a major rail
and road-way system that connects east, west, north and south, goods
from Winnipeg can reach anywhere in the world within 48 hours.

Major attractions

Winnipeg
loves to party, and it does it in style celebrating more than 130
days of festivals and other events each year, from Folkorama and Le
Festival du Voyageur to the Fringe, Jazz and Folk festivals - to name
just a few.

The Forks Market and National
Historic Site has been a traditional gathering place for hundreds of
years. Today, railway engine shops have been converted to specialty
boutiques and restaurants. The Winnipeg Children's Museum, the Manitoba
Theatre for Young People, the Inn at the Forks and CityTV, all call The
Forks home.

From The Forks, the City's
riverwalk leads west along the banks of the Assiniboine to the Manitoba
Legislative Building, where the Golden Boy perches atop its dome. To the
east, the riverwalk gives rise to a view of St. Boniface Cathedral on
the opposite shore of the Red River, and leads to the Esplanade Riel,
whose mast-like spire marks the entrance to the city's French Quarter.

Corydon
Avenue is home to Winnipeg's Little Italy - its trendy, outdoor caf's
are a place to sit and be seen or to simply watch the world go by.
Winnipeg's reputation as Chicago of the North is fostered by the
turn-of-the century architecture of the Exchange District, some of the
best-preserved buildings on the North American continent.

Winnipeg
also has a rich arts, entertainment and culinary scene. Sir Peter
Ustinov once observed that Winnipeg is home to: a ballet company of
world renown, a fine symphony and a superb art gallery. The quality of
the food is - incomparably superior and rare wines appear in bewildering
profusion."

With its more than 900
restaurants, Winnipeg boasts the most eateries per capita in Canada
offering dishes from all corners of the globe. In addition to the Royal
Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Winnipeg Art
Gallery, of which Ustinov eluded, Winnipeg is proud of its live theatre
Prairie Theatre Exchange, Manitoba Theatre Centre and Manitoba Theatre
for Young People as well as the Manitoba Opera and Manitoba Museum,
one of the finest history museums in North America.

The
city's world-class zoo is situated in Assiniboine Park, 115-hectares of
what was once cow pasture, where today it's possible to watch a game of
cricket, stroll through the English gardens, visit the Leo Mol
sculpture garden or pitch a blanket in front of the Lyric Theatre's
outdoor stage for an afternoon or evening of entertainment.

Two
theme casinos, Club Regent and McPhillip's Street Station, provide an
option for those wanting to gamble, play bingo or dine out.

For
the sports enthusiast, there's any number of professional teams to
follow, whether it's football and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, hockey and
the Manitoba Moose or baseball and the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Or for those
who'd prefer to be active themselves, there are more than 850 parks and
23 golf courses in the city and surrounding area.

Got a question about government
regulations, the politicians who represent you, looking for statistical
and economic development data onWinnipeg and Manitoba or simply want to
find out what there is to see and do.

Winnipeg
is located at the heart of the continent, and provides travelers with
air, rail and bus service to other points within the country and
overseas. Within the city itself, it's easy to get around by car, bus,
taxi or limo.

For
many neighbourhoods, the local community centre is the focus of
year-round activity, whether it's sports (hockey, soccer, baseball and
much more), recreation, classes or hall rentals (from socials and
showers to craft sales and meetings). To find the community centre in
your neighbourhood, go to: General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres

Schools

Winnipeg
is divided into six public school divisions, each represented by a
school board of elected trustees. There is no separate school division,
although private schooling is available.

Winnipeg
has two daily newspapers, the Winnipeg Free Press and the Winnipeg Sun.
The Sun publishes seven days a week and the Free Presssix days a week.
Canstar Community News also publishes five weekly neighbourhood
newspapers.